Yoyogi Park's fountain sparkled under the afternoon sun, surrounded by families, joggers, and the occasional street performer.

  Suzume sat on a bench, watching a group of kids chase pigeons while she waited.

  She'd arrived thirty minutes early to scout escape routes. Three exits, multiple crowds to blend into, and the police box was only two minutes away if things went south.

  [Maybe I'm being paranoid.]

  A woman approached with confident strides.

  She was in her late twenties, with a sharp blazer and designer heels that somehow navigated the gravel path without even coming close to stumbling. Behind her trudged a man carrying camera equipment who looked like he'd rather be literally anywhere else.

  "Aoi Suzume?"

  "You're Nakashima."

  "Call me Yumi." She sat down, crossing her legs. "This is Kenji, my minion."

  "Camera operator," Kenji muttered.

  "Minion sounds better." Yumi waved him off. "Relax, we're not filming. The camera stays in the bag."

  Suzume's shoulders loosened slightly.

  "So," Yumi leaned back, "the girl who dropped out of Tokyo University to become a one-woman rescue squad. Your parents must be thrilled."

  "They think I'm having a mental breakdown."

  "Are you?"

  "... Probably."

  Yumi laughed.

  "At least you're self-aware. Most vigilantes think they're perfectly sane."

  "I'm not a vigilante! I just... help people."

  "By diving into unstable dungeons that even professional Players won't touch. Totally normal, non-vigilante hobby."

  Suzume shrugged.

  "Look, I'll be direct," Yumi said. "I've been investigating dungeon incidents for three years. The Shibuya disaster, where your sister died? That wasn't an isolated case. The Bureau claims destabilization happens in 0.003% of dungeons. The real number is closer to 1%."

  "I know."

  "You know? How?"

  "I did my research. Survivor testimonies, incident reports, even foreign cases. The pattern's obvious if you actually look."

  "Most people don't look."

  "Most people don't have a sister who died waiting for help that never came."

  Silence stretched between them. A street performer's guitar filled the gap for a few seconds before Yumi began speaking again.

  "Akane's phone," Yumi said quietly. "You took it from the recovery site."

  Suzume tensed.

  "I'm not judging. I would've done the same." Yumi pulled out her own phone, showing a photo. "This is from the Osaka incident last year. Player named Matsuda. Survived twelve days in a collapsed C-rank dungeon. When he crawled out, missing his left arm, his guild fired him for 'mission failure.'"

  "I read about him."

  "Did you read the part where his family held his funeral on day eight? While he was still alive, fighting kobolds with one arm?"

  Suzume's jaw clenched.

  "The system's broken," Yumi continued. "Players care more about making content than saving lives. The government cares more about risk assessment than Players' safety. And the media? We just report whatever gets clicks."

  "So why do you care?"

  "Because someone should." Yumi shrugged. "And because exclusive coverage of the only person successfully rescuing civilians? That's a career-maker."

  "How honest of you."

  "I'm always honest about being opportunistic. Now, tell me how you're doing this."

  Suzume hesitated.

  "I studied. Watched thousands of hours of dungeon footage. Learned monster patterns, trap mechanisms, optimal routes. Then I trained. Running, climbing, first aid."

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  "That's not enough to survive dungeons."

  "It is if you're smart about it."

  "Bullshit." Yumi leaned forward. "I've seen the footage. You move through those portals like you belong there. Like you can sense things others can't."

  [She's fishing.]

  "Lucky guesses."

  "Right. And I'm secretly a magical girl." Yumi rolled her eyes. "Fine, keep your secrets. But if you want to keep operating, you need better cover."

  "What do you mean?"

  "I mean someone's going to notice patterns. A girl shows up at every rescue, then vanishes? Eventually, they'll track you down." Yumi pulled out a tablet. "Here's a suggestion: you need a disguise."

  "A disguise?"

  "Yeah. Nothing dramatic, but enough to throw off facial recognition."

  "Like what?"

  "Maybe some hair dye, colored contacts. Change your silhouette with baggy clothes or tactical gear."

  Kenji finally spoke up.

  "Face mask might help too. Lots of people wear them for allergies."

  "See? The minion has ideas." Yumi grinned. "Second: vary your patterns. Different entry points, different times, different districts. Don't let them build a profile. And, for God's sake, keep an eye out for security cameras."

  Suzume pulled out her phone, taking notes.

  "Third: Let me handle media coverage."

  "What do you mean?"

  "I can make it so that any footage of you gets edited before broadcast. Face obscured, voice altered if necessary. In exchange, you give me exclusive intel on the rescue operations. Let me know where you're going and when you're going, so I can be the first to get my hands on any relevant footage. Not just that, but I can also give you the breaking news on any unstable dungeons right as it happens."

  "And if I say no?"

  "You're free to do so. But then, others will eventually figure out who you are, and you'll wish you'd taken my deal." Yumi shrugged. "Look, I know it might seem like I'm your enemy, but I'm not. Rather, I'd like you to think of me as... a potential business partner. You get to save people, I get to set up generational wealth for myself through your story. Good deal, right?"

  "Fine. But I have conditions."

  "Name them."

  "First, I want a cut of the money."

  Yumi's eyebrows rose.

  "Really? Didn't peg you for the greedy type."

  [Better equipment costs money and the System probably isn't going to give me everything. A lot of money. If I'm going to keep doing this, I need actual gear, not sporting goods store knockoffs.]

  "Fifty percent," Suzume said firmly.

  "Twenty."

  Suzume's brows shot up.

  "I told you," Yumi said, crossing her arms, demeanor changing completely from one moment to another. "It was very easy to find you. I'm only even asking for this deal out of convenience; it would still be very easy to keep an eye on you and report on you without your cooperation."

  Suzume glared at her. Yumi did not look like she was changing her mind.

  "Forty."

  "Deal." Yumi nodded. "What else?"

  "No information about me or my family gets out. Nothing. You treat me, Suzume, like I don't exist outside of the rescues."

  "So basically, you want to be an enigma? A complete mystery?" Yumi's eyes lit up. "Oh, I love it! I even have the perfect name for you already!"

  "What?"

  "Rescue Girl!" Yumi announced proudly. "Simple, memorable, and tells people exactly what you do!"

  "That's... incredibly unimaginative."

  "The best hero names always are. Simple works, trust me."

  "Done." Yumi extended her hand. "Partners?"

  Suzume took a moment, reviewing everything in her mind.

  [... Fine.]

  Suzume shook it.

  "One more thing," Yumi said. "Have you looked into your sister's Player possessions?"

  "What about them?"

  "Technically, they belong to you now. The guild might've claimed some of her professional equipment, but anything she bought personally? That's yours."

  "I... hadn't thought about that."

  "Phoenix Guild has her combat gear, but I checked the records." Yumi pulled up files on her tablet. "She bought several items with personal funds. A spatial storage ring, some health potions, and..." She paused. "A set of D-rank protective charms."

  "Protective charms?"

  "Reduces damage from physical attacks by a percentage. They're accessories, not class-restricted. Even a non-Player could use them."

  Suzume's eyes widened.

  "The guild doesn't know about them. Akane kept them in a safety deposit box at Mizuho Bank, Shibuya branch. The key should be with her personal effects." Yumi stood. "Get the charms. Dye your hair. Buy colored contacts. Buy a mask. Then keep doing what you're doing, but smarter, and with me involved."

  "I... thank you."

  "Don't thank me yet. This partnership might get us both killed." Yumi adjusted her blazer. "But at least it'll make great television."

  Kenji groaned.

  "Can we go? I need coffee."

  "The minion requires sustenance." Yumi started walking. "Oh, Suzume? One last thing."

  "What?"

  "That bruise on your ribs. From today's rescue?"

  Suzume's hand moved to her side instinctively.

  "Ice it tonight. And maybe invest in actual body armor. The sporting goods store stuff won't hold up against anything above E-rank."

  They left, Yumi's heels clicking on the path while Kenji struggled with the equipment.

  Suzume sat alone, processing everything.

  [A journalist ally. Akane's protective charms. An actual plan.]

  She stood, heading for the station. First stop: the bank. Second stop: a beauty supply store.

  If she was going to be a secret hero, she might as well look the part.

  ---

  That evening, Suzume stood in her bathroom, box of purple hair dye in hand.

  Her reflection stared back. Plain features, short black hair, brown eyes. The same face she'd worn for eighteen years.

  [... That face is becoming a liability.]

  "Here goes nothing."

  Two hours later, she emerged with dark, but distinct purple hair. Not quite overwhelming but definitely enough to throw off anyone comparing her to old photos.

  The colored contacts turned her brown eyes blue. Not bright anime blue, just different enough to matter.

  She pulled on the baggy hoodie and cargo pants she'd bought, then added a face mask.

  Her reflection looked like a completely different person.

  [Whoa.]

  Her phone buzzed. Yumi had sent a message.

  Yumi: Check the news.

  She turned on the TV.

  "—mysterious rescuer strikes again! Earlier today, three office workers were saved from a destabilized E-rank dungeon. Witnesses describe a figure in tactical gear, but no clear photos exist. Players Association representatives claim they're investigating—"

  The footage showed the Setagaya incident from that morning, but her face was perfectly obscured by convenient camera angles and shadows.

  Another message from Yumi:

  I work fast, don't I?

  Suzume sighed with a bit of relief behind her mask.

  Tomorrow, she'd pick up Akane's charms. Then back to the maid cafe, back to training, back to watching for the next disaster.

  But tonight, she looked at her transformed reflection and felt something she hadn't experienced in months.

  Hope.

  [Current Level: 2]

  [EXP: 108/150]

  She pulled up MeTube on her laptop.

  "Dungeon Trap Mechanisms: A Comprehensive Guide" had just uploaded part twelve.

  Time to study.